


Apocalypse

by nishiki



Series: Thistle and Weeds [16]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Apocalypse, Fear, Fear of Death, Gen, Ghosts, Hallucinations, Near Death Experiences, Post Season 1, Serious Injuries, Trapped, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22239229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishiki/pseuds/nishiki
Summary: When Klaus gets trapped under a collapsed building, he is alone - until he isn't.----------Can be read as stand-alone
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves
Series: Thistle and Weeds [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1291607
Comments: 16
Kudos: 231





	Apocalypse

When the building came crashing down around them, he knew that the apocalypse had come at last. They hadn't been able to save the world. They hadn't been able to prevent anything. They were no fucking heroes. They were a joke. Not even a good one. It all happened so fast that he didn't know what happened in the first place. He remembered being inside the academy, talking to his siblings in the living room before all hell had broken loose. The whole house had come down around them. He had lost Diego. His brother had been close to him when it happened. He remembered Diego pulling him by the arm when they tried to escape the academy. But he had lost him. He had lost him. 

As he opened his eyes against the dust and the rubble, he was alone. For some divine reason, he had not been crushed by the building collapsing on top of his head. His head hurt like a ton of bricks had smashed it, though. Well, that was probably exactly what had happened. It seemed to take an eternity for him to take stock of his surroundings and the state of his body. He couldn't move. He was trapped between the rubble. His left leg was stuck underneath a piece of rubble but other than that, he was mostly free and yet unable to move. 

By some miracle, he had ended up in a cavity between all the rubble and as he looked around in the darkness surrounding him, he noticed why as well. Above him - right above his head - a steel crossbeam kept a few bigger chunks of rubble from crashing down on him. If the crossbeam would move or give, Klaus would end up crushed. There was no escape.

His breath hitched in his throat as the thought hit him like a freight train. Between him and death was only a steel beam and if this thing would shift or break in any way he would be dead. 

»Diego…« His first instinct was to look for his brother. Where was his brother? Where was Diego? He had been there. He had been right there when it happened. He had pulled him along. And then they had gotten separated. Where was Diego?

And then he saw it. A hand sticking out between the rubble. Just a hand, nothing more.

The realization that it was his brother’s hand hit him all at once like a stab to his heart. He had no strength to scream or yell or even freak out. He felt weak. There was no one around him. Not even Ben. He was alone. All alone. Alone and above him, the apocalypse was tearing the world apart. There was no other explanation. They had failed. And now the world was burning and he was alone. 

A strangled sob escaped his throat as he tried to get his leg free. Not that it would help him in any way. Even if he would get his leg free, there was still debris above him and he had no idea how much. Still, he tried moving the piece of debris on his leg and as he did everything around him started to shake and tremble and so he stopped. One wrong move and everything would come crashing down. Another sob escaped him. Was this his end? Had he only survived for so long on the streets and now even survived a building collapsing on top of him just to die like this? 

He would slowly succumb to his injuries or he would starve to death or die of thirst or he would be crushed alive. Whatever would happen first, he assumed. It wasn't fair. He’d gotten clean! He beat his addiction! He did that! He had become a proper member of the academy, harnessed his powers and managed to build on them - at least enough that he could conjure Ben whenever he wanted. And now that? His siblings were dead and he was forced to die slowly and painfully. Was this his punishment for the choices he made in the past?

His eyes locked on the hand he could see sticking out from underneath the rubble right in front of him and the next sob was louder and louder and louder until his voice turned into a scream. He couldn't stop screaming. Even at the threat of his vocal cords snapping in half, he couldn't stop screaming because his brother was dead and his corpse was buried under all those stones, crushed to a bloody pulp and he would die alone here.

He didn't know when it started happening. It just did. At some point, the shadows around him started to move and take all kinds of different shapes. His eyes were burning from the dust. His head was throbbing and his vision blurring. Losing consciousness seemed such a good idea at that moment to him. God, who knew how long he was stuck down here already? There was no way to tell. He didn't even want to bother with that either. It wasn't important. Minutes, hours, days, months, years … they all started to blend together and it didn't matter when he was trapped down here with no way of escaping. And even if he would escape, then what? He was alone. The world was burning, his siblings were dead and he was alone. Maybe he would travel around like Five had for decades and decades until he would have gone completely insane. 

His eyes were drooping again and he wanted to give in to the temptation of falling asleep and drowning in his own nightmares. It seemed better than what he had here in the world of consciousness. He knew that falling asleep would only sign his death sentence but … what did it matter?

»Hey!« A sharp voice gained his attention. »You can't fall asleep now, Bro!« 

It would be a lie to say that his eyes snapped open. It was more of a sluggish movement. Still, he managed to pry them open and when he did, he found Diego crouching in front of him, staring at him out of the pools of his dark brown eyes with that cock-sure smile he liked to wear sometimes. He was okay. He was fine. There were no scratches on him. He was fine.

»Diego…« He gasped and tried reaching out to him but he could barely move his arm. He had no energy left to move. The air became thinner and thinner. Suffocating to death was no fun. »Diego … I thought you were dead … Diego…« His brother’s name seemed like the melody of a long lost song on his lips right now. It was the only thing making sense to him. As Diego crouched before him, he was blocking Klaus from seeing the hand sticking out from underneath the debris and he was thankful for it. Whoever’s hand that was, it wasn’t Diego’s because Diego was here with him right now and he was fine.

»I need you to stay awake, okay? Can you do that for me?«

»I don't know.« He choked. »I don't know, Dee. I’m trying … But I’m in so much pain … Please … You need to get me out of here, Dee. Help me.« 

»Help is on the way.« Diego promised with a smile. »Don't worry. Only a few more minutes.«

»No, Diego … They are all dead. We are alone down here. You need to help me out.« 

»Listen, little bro … I can't.« Diego replied calmly, his voice still gentle and soft. »If I move you, all this shit will come down, okay? You need to wait a little longer. You will be saved, okay?«

»Okay.« His eyelids were drooping again and Diego snapped his fingers right in front of his face.

»Stay awake!« Now his voice sounded almost angry.

»Hey … Hey … Remember the time when we were seven and we tried building a treehouse in the old oak tree in the yard?« Talking. He needed to talk. If he would talk to Diego, he would stay awake. 

»Of course. Dad made Luther tear it down and we had to do yardwork for a month.« Diego chuckled. Back then, they had been devastated. They had been so utterly sad. 

»Yeah … but it was fun. We should do that again.«

»We should.« 

»And this time Dad can't make us tear it down again, right?« He mumbled and even to his own ears he was slurring his words. That wasn't good. »I think I’m dying, Diego…« He whispered before another sob had him choking on his own saliva. His mouth was dry from the dust around him and a coughing fit made a few tiny stones fall down around him. 

»Help is on the way, Klaus.« Diego promised again. How did he know this anyway? And why wasn’t he hurt? »Remember that one time when Dad was on a trip and we got our mattresses and slid down the stairs on them?« 

»I tried standing up and then I tumbled and fell down the stairs. Broke my wrist. I think my wrist is broken now too … and my leg … Diego, am I dying down here? I don't want to die. I think my head might be broken too.«

»You are not dying.« It almost sounded like an order coming out of the mouth of his brother. »You just need to keep your eyes open for me, okay? You are not dying, Klaus.« 

»Promise?«

»Promise. You’ll see, you’ll get out and then we laugh about this in a few weeks. You will be fine.« 

»We always went to Griddy’s when we snuck out of the house…« The memory was crystal clear in front of him now. 

He could see them like an outsider looking in. They were sitting around a table in the corner, all seven of them, long before Five had vanished and Ben had died, eating donuts until they were nauseous. Back then, Luther hadn't needed missions to find joy in life. Back then, Diego hadn't been caged by this inferior complex that Reginald instilled in him throughout the years. Back then, Five had had the face of a proper child and not the one that was hardened by decades alone in the apocalypse. Back then, Vanya had had a smile on her face and had been part of the family. Back then, Allison hadn't needed to manipulate their siblings to get her way. Back then, Ben had still been full of wit and funny remarks. Back then, Klaus hadn't needed drugs to function. 

They had been wide-eyed and full of childish hopes and dreams. Those days in the donut shop seemed like the idea of heaven to him right now. If the afterlife would be one long never-ending afternoon with his siblings in the donut shop, he would be happy to join them right now. 

»Keep your eyes open!«

»Hey, Diego…«

»Yes?«

»I love you.« Klaus muttered with a smile on his face and as he looked at Diego now, he could see what was really going on. He could see him waver at the edges, could see the rubble right through him and the hand in the dirt. »I love you so much, Dee.« The tear that streamed down his right cheek was hot on his skin. »It's okay … I know you are dead. It's okay.«

And there was the donut shop again. Right in front of him. He was standing outside at the door, looking in. He could see the group of children sitting at the table in the corner. One chair was empty. They were waiting for him and when he stood there, looking inside, he could see how Ben turned around on his chair and waved to him to come inside. 

»Klaus!« He had his hand on the door. »Klaus! Stay awake! Stay awake now! Don't fall asleep!« He pushed the door open and the light inside Griddy’s Donuts was blinding as he stepped inside the shop.

※※※※※※※

»I need you to open your eyes.« Not even in death, he had peace. »Please, Klaus, open your eyes.« 

»Diego…« The voice he heard then was hoarse and thin and it took him a moment to realize that it was his own.

»No … it's me, Luther.« A part of him wanted to laugh. Luther was here. So he really was dead then. The academy had collapsed and his siblings were all dead and now he too was dead.

Slowly, he forced his eyes open again but the light was blinding and hurting his eyes and his head when he tried to. It took him a while and a few trials to get his bearings and actually open his eyes but when he finally managed to, the room around him started to take shape. He was at the hospital. But how that was even possible after the world had gone up in flames was beyond him.

Luther was sitting at his right-hand side, his eyes full of worry for his brother. He looked strangely dirty. Grime and dust were caked to his face but couldn't cover the tiny scratches all over his face. His shirt was ripped and bloody at his side and he could see gauze peeking out from underneath.

»Hey … Welcome back.« Luther smiled. He actually smiled at him. »You had us all worried sick there. Thought we lost you.«

»Diego.« He repeated like a broken record. »Diego is dead, Lu. He's dead and I couldn't help him. I tried but I lost him when the academy came down…«

»What are you talking about?« Luther furrowed his brows in confusion. 

»The academy!«

»The academy is still standing, Klaus. We were on a mission, don't you remember?« He remembered the mission alarm blaring through the academy. »One of the terrorists we tried to catch made a bomb go off that made the entire building collapse. You were right there when it happened. We thought you were dead but Diego insisted on searching. He was so sure you were still alive.«

A bomb. He vaguely remembered a bomb. He remembered splintering off from the group when the terrorist had run off. He had followed him down into the basement. He had wanted to prove himself to the group. Wanted to show that he could be useful even without conjuring Ben. »I wanted to stop him … I wasn't quick enough.«

The hand. He remembered a hand sticking out from underneath the rubble. Not Diego's hand. Not Diego's hand. 

»But Diego was there with me … He was dead … It was his ghost … He kept me awake.«

There was something very odd ghosting over Luther's face at his words - something that he couldn't put into words. He looked like someone was walking over his grave or dragged their fingernails down a chalkboard. 

»Diego is one door down, Klaus.« He then said. »He was nowhere near you when it happened. But he was injured quite badly. Had an iron rod right through his shoulder … tore his axillary artery … it … it didn't look good for a while. Doctors said he died on them in the ambulance for a few minutes.«

Nothing seemed to make sense and yet the puzzle pieces started to slot together slowly. He couldn't see the complete picture yet. He needed to take a step back first. »He saved me…« Klaus insisted.

»You were down there for six hours, Klaus … When we found you … you were almost dead … you were delirious and talking to yourself.«

»I was talking to Diego.«

»No, Klaus … There was no one there.« When he looked around the room once more without moving his head too much, he found Ben leaning against the wall by the door. He smiled back at him but he was all fuzzy around the edges. »You were injured badly … You have a head injury and a concussion. Your skull broke but the doctors could fix you right back up. Your leg is broken and your wrist too. When we found you, you had internal bleeding and … You almost died on us. The doctors say it's a miracle that you lasted so long down there, to begin with. 

»Can I see Diego?« He murmured as he turned his head to Luther and Luther, though a bit surprised, nodded with a small smile. He needed to see his brother to make sure that all of this was real. He needed to make sure that Diego really was still alive and that Luther was not just pulling his leg - which would be a dick move anyway. 

It took an hour until Klaus found himself sitting in a wheelchair. Now that he was fully awake, he actually felt the pain his body was in. The doctor had insisted on checking on him first before he would allow Klaus to leave his room to see Diego but when he did, there was nothing left to stop Klaus - except the fact that he couldn't walk. His left leg was covered from ankle to hip in a cast - which was a bit awkward for him. However, he had Luther helping him to get into the wheelchair and who actually pushed his wheelchair out of the room and then down the hall to Diego’s room. In a way, he was thankful that Luther had made sure that the doctors would not give him morphine for his pain but right now … right now he wanted to slap a bitch. 

He was not prepared to actually see his brother in this hospital bed. Diego was never injured. Not like this at least. However, as Luther opened the door for him and pushed him through, Diego was resting on his bed, seemingly asleep. Of course, he had been warned that Diego might still be asleep after his grueling surgery and all the painkillers he had in his system. It was weird to see him like this, though. He looked so vulnerable. 

Diego too had suffered a few broken bones as it looked like. His neck was in a collar to stabilize it, his head was wrapped up in bandages much like Klaus’ own head. He wasn't wearing a hospital gown like Klaus with his blankets pushed down to his hips while his entire chest was wrapped up tightly in bandages. He could see a splotch of dark blood through them on the side of his chest. 

His eyes were closed, his left arm in a sling against his stomach and his shoulder completely immobilized with bandages and tape. He would have looked peaceful would it not have been for all those injuries. Yet, Klaus’ heart ached at the sight. His brother Diego wasn't supposed to look like this. And neither was Luther. He too had been injured and yet he was here now with him and helped him along. Only then it occurred to Klaus that he hadn't asked about the others.

»How are the girls and Five?« He muttered as Luther pushed him closer to the bed and then enabled the brakes. Diego didn't stir at the sound of his voice. 

»They are fine.« Luther whispered as if he didn't want to wake up their brother. »They got away with a few broken bones and scratches - nothing too severe though. Allison was here most of the day to watch out for Diego until he was stable.« 

»How long’ve we been here?«

»The incident was yesterday.« Luther shrugged. »You arrived twelve hours ago, give or take. You’ve been in and out of surgery. Diego’s been here for a bit longer than this.« 

»And you … you stayed with me the entire time?«

»Of course.« He said with utter conviction and almost a bit affronted that Klaus would think anything else. »I had to promise Diego to make sure you’re okay, after all. He wouldn't let the EMTs do their work until I did.« 

He was silent for a moment there. Sometimes, to Klaus, it was still a miracle that his siblings seemed to care for him so much. So much time had passed since the death of their father and since they had come back together as a team and yet sometimes he still forgot that he was a part of this team and of this family. Sometimes he forgot that his siblings cared for him and loved him. 

Luther patted his shoulder and turned to leave but Klaus quickly grabbed his hand and pulled until Luther came closer. He had to twist his body a little against the pain in his midsection but succeeded enough to wrap his arms around Luther’s middle and put his poor injured head against Luther’s stomach. Just for a moment, they lingered like this before Luther had mercy and leaned down to properly hug him.

»Thank you.« Klaus muttered into Luther’s ear when he was close enough. 

»No need to … to thank me.« Luther replied and there was a certain scratchy quality to his voice that surprised Klaus. »You’re my brother … Even if Diego … even if he hadn't told us to keep searching … Do you really think we would have abandoned you?« He didn't know. He felt foolish that he hadn't known, hadn't realized that his siblings would search for him. »I love you.« Luther muttered into his curls. »I love you, Klaus. We all do. A-And now … Now I need to take a shower.« 

His brother’s sudden awkwardness startled a laugh out of his throat but he allowed Luther to go at last. He waited until he heard the door shut behind Luther before he carefully took Diego’s right hand that was lying uselessly on the bed. 

»Hey, big D.« He muttered even though Diego still seemed fast asleep. »I wanted to say thank you.« He continued regardless. »For keeping me awake down there. You saved me. I don't care what Luther said … I know you were there with me. I don't know how or … why … but I know you were. I didn't just hallucinate it. You came for me when I needed you the most, right? If it hadn't been for you … I would be dead now.«

»You are a dingus.« His brother’s voice startled him so badly he almost fell out of his wheelchair. »To run after that asshole instead of leaving the building…«

»How long’ve you been awake?« He gasped. If he would be a person with a proper sense of shame, Klaus would have probably been flustered right now but there was only little that could still embarrass him anymore. 

»Long enough.« As he looked at Diego now he found his brown eyes open to thin slits looking at him. Still, Diego had a smirk on his face. »Don't look at me like that. I just didn't want to make it awkward for the big guy.« He then chuckled.

»Hey … don't laugh … I’m in pain…« Klaus whined as he leaned his head forward and rested his forehead against Diego’s hand. He could still see the hand sticking out from underneath the rubble. Not Diego’s hand. Not Diego’s hand. Diego was here. He was holding his hand right now. He was safe. He was alive. 

»Sure you are.« Diego huffed and Klaus allowed his eyes to slip shut for just a moment. He wanted to stay like this forever. Just knowing that Diego was alive. And that he too was alive. He couldn't quite explain what had happened when he had been trapped underneath all this debris. Maybe he had just hallucinated Diego down there with him to help him cope. Maybe his brother’s spirit really had been there. It didn't matter.

»Hey … Remember the time an entire house fell on my head?« 


End file.
